A behind-the-scenes narrative of how the music in our podcasts find its way serendipitously into our production process — all by way of hip hop aficionado Imani Perry. Lauryn Hill comes through in a pinch.

A powerful essay on the responsibility of raising black sons in America. Against the forces of injustice and the brutal truth of racial inequality, a scholar and a mother finds hope in community and the knowledge that "together we create gardens of possibility in the parched earth."

The video of Ray Rice hitting Janay Rice has prompted all sorts of responses. Rather than resorting to humiliation and social isolation, how do we deal with generational legacies of violence when it confronts us in the news cycle? A call to see the pain before us, and create consequences and opportunities for cultural transformation — not public shaming.

Our executive editor's weekly missive, including a smart testimony on the value of work, a Mary Oliver poem on suffering and joy, a call for headlines that reflect the fullness of the world, and a stunning body of paintings from Rabindranath Tagore.

How do we process all the heartbreaking news, be informed citizens, and not become detached? Is being uninformed a moral decision? One way is for media and consumers to demand headlines that reflect the fullness of the world — including the fortifying solutions happening too.

Tagore took up painting late in life, in his 60s. But his prodigious aptitude produced nearly 2500 paintings and drawings in a span of just 15 years. In this essay, our guest scholar introduces Tagore's technique and his place within the art world — featuring a curated collection of Tagore's most evocative paintings.